If you want to get contributions from multiple users for the same workbook, Excel allows you to request a review for a workbook, or share the workbook directly. If you request a review for a given workbook, you normally are dealing with copies of the workbook that are distributed by e-mail, and merged after they have been reviewed and returned.

 

When you share a workbook directly, you normally place the shared workbook in a location, (like a network file server), where all of the contributors can access it. In this case, when a user opens the shared workbook, a copy of it is loaded into his or her computer. Changes are made to this working copy and when it is saved, the changes are incorporated into the original shared workbook.

 

The first step in sharing a workbook in Excel 2003 is to open the workbook, and choose Tools->Share Workbook from the menu bar.

 

 

Performing this action will display the Share Workbook dialogue box.

 

This is the Share Workbook dialogue box.

 

Putting a checkmark in the checkbox under the Editing tab, will allow more than one user to make changes to the workbook simultaneously.

 

In the large area under the heading Who has this workbook open now: you will see the list of users who currently have the work book open. If you select a name from the list of users, and click the remove user button, the selected user will be disconnected from the shared workbook.

 

 (This only applies when the workbook is  shared via a shared network folder.)

 

Clicking the Advanced tab in the Share Workbook dialogue box will show you more options for your shared workbook.

 

 

Under the track changes heading, you will see a radio button labeled keep change history for. Selecting this button will allow you to review the changes made to the shared workbook by the users involved. You should keep in mind that if you specify a long period of time to keep the change history, the file can grow quite large if there are frequent changes.

 

Under the Update changes heading you can choose to have changes to the file updated when the file is saved, or automatically, based on a time period that you specify. If changes are updated automatically, your shared workbook will be updated for you even while you have it open.

 

If you select the When file is saved option, saving the shared workbook, will update all of the changes made since the last time you saved it.

 

When a workbook is shared, it is possible for more than one user to modify the workbook at the same time. If two people try to save a shared workbook, after making changes to the same cells, a conflict can occur. The problem is that Excel can only keep one set of values in the cells of a given worksheet at a given time.

 

Under the Conflicting changes between users heading in the share workbook dialogue box, Excel provides two options for resolving this kind of conflicts. If you select the Ask me which changes win option, you will see a Resolve conflicts dialogue box when you try to save a shared file that has a conflict. In the resolve conflicts dialogue box, you can choose what version of the conflicting cells to keep. When a conflict of this kind occurs, the last user to save the shared workbook will see the Resolve conflicts dialogue box and have the choice of what to keep.

 

If you select the Changes being saved win radio button, the changes that are saved last will be kept. When you are finished setting up you shared worksheet click the OK button.

 

 

There are some Excel features and objects that cannot be modified once a workbook is shared. It is usually a good idea to get these features configured as you require before you share the workbook.

 

The following features and objects will work, (or can be viewed), but not modified in a shared workbook.

 

·              Drawing objects

·              Data tables

·              Cell Validation

·              Charts

·              Conditional formatting

·              PivotTable reports

·              Protection

·              Macros

·              Hyperlinks

·              Merged cells

·              Groupings and outlines

·              Array formulas

·              Pictures

 

You cannot view or create scenarios, create lists, work with XML data, or delete worksheets in a shared workbook.

 

After you have set up your worksheet for sharing and you click the OK button in the share workbook dialogue box, you should save the shared workbook to a shared network folder that can be accessed by all of the users that will contribute.

 

To edit the shared workbook, users should navigate to the network folder where the shared workbook is stored and open it. Once the workbook opens, users should then choose Tools->Options and select the general tab from the Options dialogue box. Under the options tab, a user should enter his or her username so that the work the changes they make will be identified. The shared workbook can be edited by users just like a standard workbook, (keeping in mind the exceptions listed previously), and saved by clicking the save button on the standard toolbar.

 

 

When opening and editing a shared workbook from a shared network folder, enter your username in the user name in the Options dialogue box under the General tab.